Interior door panels serve many functions in the operation of an automobile. First and foremost, the door panel provides an L-shaped support for an arm of a passenger traveling in the vehicle. Typically, the horizontal portion of the door panel comprises an armrest and the vertical portion comprises a bolster. These portions may be formed from a variety of different materials including vinyl, cloth, plastic or leather. Certain materials, such as leather, provide a softer feel and are more comfortable to the passenger. However, these materials are more expensive. Rougher materials, such as hard plastic, are less expensive and easier to manipulate into the armrest and bolster of the door panels. The door panels made of plastic can easily be formed by traditional injection molding techniques.
Another function of the interior door panel is to provide switches for electronically controlling features such as power door locks, power windows, and power mirrors. Traditional door panels provide an aperture for receiving a switching mechanism having a plurality of switches for controlling the power features. This technique produces a variety of quality control problems. First, the non-integral switches produce fit and finish problems, including difficulties controlling buzzes, squeaks and rattles generated by the switching mechanism. Additionally, because the switches are not integral and reside in the aperture of the door panel, a gap remains once the switching mechanism is installed. This gap allows contaminants to invade the switching mechanism thereby producing failures of the power features of the vehicle after prolonged exposure to the contaminants.
Finally, the interior door panels of a vehicle provide an aesthetic function to the vehicle. The door is one of the first features a passenger observes when entering a vehicle. Furthermore, people spend increasing amounts of time in their vehicles each day and expect the interiors of their vehicles to be functional, comfortable and pleasing to their eyes. Similarly, designers of automotive interiors are continually striving to produce fresh, unique design to please their customers. Traditional door panels are generally one solid monotone color. Perhaps with a cloth covering, the panels will receive a pattern or contrasting color.
There remains a need in the automotive industry to create a component, such as a door panel, in which the armrests and bolsters are easy and inexpensive to manufacture yet provide a soft and comfortable feel to the vehicle passenger. In addition, there remains a need to produce a door panel that includes an accessory, such as a switching mechanism, in which quality control concerns are reduced and the door panels are easily and inexpensively produced. Further, there remains a need in the automotive industry to produce door panels using an inexpensive, easily manufactured alternative that provides flexibility in the design and color schemes of vehicle interiors.